


a hopeful call

by nobruisesonherego



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Help line, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, Pre-Slash, Therapy (mentioned), they are not firefighters so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27301669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobruisesonherego/pseuds/nobruisesonherego
Summary: After a break-up, Buck finds himself to be a little lost. But hope for something better comes from a unexpected place, and just maybe it confirms his belief in fate.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Taylor Kelly (past)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40
Collections: Buddie Trick or Treat





	a hopeful call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whoallsgayhere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoallsgayhere/gifts).



> This is the first fic I posted on AO3, ever! Even though I have been writing on and off for many years, I had never posted it on AO3 before. Exciting!
> 
> Also, the country where I live in has a help line service, it can be for anyone who just needs someone to talk to. I use it sometimes. So, I thought... Why not have Buck and Eddie meet this way?
> 
> A gift for @whoallsgayhere, for the Buddie Trick Or Treat challenge. I know I asked you if you liked fake dating, but it turned it nto a whole different idea so I went with something else. Trick! It's a trick and not a treat, but I do hope you enjoy it!
> 
> And thanks to Melo for beta-reading!

It had been three weeks since Buck saw Taylor for the last time, and he still felt this ache in his heart. A longing, in a way. Some days he did not feel like eating, but he forced himself to eat just a little. He tried to distract himself through his job, teaching at an elementary school. He loved working with children, and for a while it could cheer him up. He had his friends too. It all made him think that maybe he was going to be okay, but then he came back home and he remembered everything again.

It was not his idea, he never heard of it before until one of his roommates brought it up. A Listening Line. Basically, you could call and it could remain anonymous, you could talk about whatever was bothering you and a volunteer would listen and perhaps offer advice.

Buck was an open person, about his thoughts and feelings, but he knew he couldn’t keep bothering his friends about his troubles so he thought that maybe it was not a bad idea.

He eventually called.

“Hi, you are speaking with the Listening Line.” A male voice replied.

Buck felt a little awkward about this. Sure, he did have an easy time talking to strangers. But only hearing someone’s voice and not seeing their face had a different touch to it. “Hi. I’m Buck.” The voice greeted him back, “Hi Buck. How can I help you?” The voice was almost smooth, not too deep but deep in it's own unique way.

“My girlfriend and I broke up three weeks ago, and I can’t seem to move past it.”

“Why do you think that is?” The voice asked.

He thought of seeing Taylor smile at him, of her kisses, of their arguments and the debates they would get into. “I think I might have loved her. Which is big for me, as I don’t often feel that much for someone.” He hated himself a little for that, how he could just have sex with someone and not think too much about it. It was not serious, he did not fall in love often, but what he did learn was when he did feel something he could feel it intensely. It was tiring to feel that much and not receive much in return. He guessed he felt a little more than Taylor did.

“I wanted her to feel the way I did, but I don’t think she did.”

The voice said, “Why do you think she did not feel as much as you did?”

Buck sighed, “It’s always like this with me. I mean, my parents did not care much.” Though his sister did, so he was not entirely alone. He had friends too. And yet there was something missing. A calm in the storm, perhaps. Someone secure, stable, dependable.

“I know it is difficult when you are rejected, when you don't get what you want from someone, but maybe you shouldn’t put your energy in those who can’t see you for who you are. Who can’t love you for who you are. Focus on those who do.”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right.” Buck said.

He thanked the guy for the talk, it was nice to just talk to someone. Even if it was a stranger.

He had called in on The Listening Line a few times after the first one. One time to talk about a friend who would belittle him for little things, another was whether or not he should wish happy birthday to Taylor (he ended up not doing that, what was over was over), and Buck had started to notice something. The voice was similar each time, it was the same person. Of course he couldn’t ask personal details about the guy, that would be inappropriate, but he was curious and wondered who this person was who would listen to people and offer advice.

At some point, he stopped calling in. He was busy, and he found another outlet for his problems, do he did not see the point of it anymore.

Sometimes Buck would look up at the sky, on the blue and grey days, and he would hope for better days. For this loneliness to end, for the feeling of sadness to stop. So he had to keep trying and keep hoping .But he was also realistic. He knew it would need work. So he had to keep trying and keep hoping

It was a Halloween party, his friend Chimney had thrown a party. He wore a shirt with cats on it, a “Copy Cat”, he thought it was amusing. He was not sure if people would understand it, but he had just put something together.

The house was full of people., Buck wasn’t unfamiliar with crowds, he enjoyed them. He liked talking to people, mingling in and meeting new people.

He grabbed a drink. His eyes caught on a handsome guy, dressed in a Captain America costume.

“Are you a friend of Chim’s? I’ve never seen you before.” Buck started.

The guy was a little taken aback, but a smile showed, “Uh, yeah. I am.” He took out his hand, “Eddie Diaz.” They shook hands, “Evan Buckley. You can call me Buck”

“You have a shirt with a bunch of pictures of the same cat…” Eddie gave him a look, “Is there supposed to be a pun there?”

Buck looked down at his shirt, breathed a little laugh, “Oh yeah, copycat. It seemed clever.”

Another smile, “Right.” There was a relaxed air about Eddie, and he had a nice smile too. A warm smile, his eyes crinkled.

They talked and it was easy chatter, the longer Eddie talked, the more Buck realized something. It would be too much of a coincidence, right?

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Eddie replied.

“It might be weird of me to say, but your voice… I think I recognize it…” Buck had no idea how to not make this weird, or awkward.

Eddie was silent for a few moments, “Uh, yeah...I was thinking the same…”

Buck asked, “Have you ever heard of The Listening Line?”

Eddie’s eyes went wide, “I’m a volunteer.”

No, this was too good. Or terrible.

“I called a few times, about an ex-girlfriend, about a friend.” Buck explained.

“Oh… Wow, yeah.” Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, “I am not sure what to say.”

Buck laughed after they stared at each other in silence for a minute, “But it’s funny, right? What are the chances?”

Maybe it was fate. Sometimes things happen for a reason.

Buck calmed Eddie down from the weirdness of it. He asked Buck if he was doing better, he said that he had started therapy. “Therapy, right. It can be good for some people. I tried, but I did not think it would solve anything in the end. I’m not much of a talker about my problems.”

“It doesn’t always work for everyone. Honestly, I think I talk too much sometimes.” Buck joked.

Eddie was down-to-earth and nice. Easy to talk to. Both over the line, and in real life, Buck had realised.

For the first time in months, Buck thought that maybe, just maybe things were going to get better.


End file.
